Before Even Thunder
by Demonkitty101
Summary: Have you ever wondered about the Great Clans, and how the reign of the Great cats ended? Before even Thunder, or River, or Shadow, or Wind,comes the story of the end, and the beginning of the Thunder, River, Shadow, and Wind. BETTER SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1

Demonkitty: Okay, I have like, a bazillion fanfictions to work on, and school and homework, and my music lessons, and all that crap. So here's the first chapter, and updates are going to be suuuuuuuuuper sloooooooow. Let's begin! Oh, the story centers around three kits from each Clan who experience everything, and the leaders of the Clans. I'm shopping for a beta, and I found one who hasn't gotten back to me yet… so there may be mistakes or whatever. Bear with me here!

Summary:

Before even the founders of the Four Clans of the Old Forest, Thunder, River, Shadow, and Wind, there were the three great Clans of the Old Cats: LionClan, TigerClan, and LeopardClan. The cats of LionClan, with their fiery manes and thunderous roar, settled into the steep, dangerous mountains, the cats of LeopardClan, the swift, fleet-footed warriors marked with paw-printed rosettes, who have kept themselves in the forests and windy moors, and the striped, sly warriors of TigerClan, who slink in the shadows and marshes of the forest, waiting to attack, all face a new danger: The No-Claws, who have developed the tools to drive them out, of eliminate them completely. Together, they must drive them out to save themselves, and their ways, but the chances of success are thin. Is their destiny to be driven out, never to return, or are they going to be able to save their tradition and remain in their respected territories?

Mains

LionClan- Stormkit and Icestar

TigerClan- Coalkit and Gorsestar

LeopardClan- Skykit and Swiftstar

Chapter One- The Beginning.

LionClan

"Sunstar." The soft voice of Moonpetal broke into Sunstar's thoughts as he gazed over the rocky ledge of the mountain. He twitched his whiskers in order to inform the medicine cat that he was listening, and he shook out his golden mane in the harsh winds.

"StarClan has called to me. They have warned me of a great danger to come." She said quietly.

"I see." The old, great cat replied calmly.

"They have gifted me with a prophecy." Her amber eyes clouded as she repeated what she had heard.

_Hope lies with three,_

_Two worlds start to meet_

_May you fall in your glory_

_All chance is gone,_

_And Death is your fee_

The pale golden leader looked troubled.

"It gives no more than a sliver of chance." He commented.

"Yes, but it is a chance nonetheless." Moonpetal was also troubled.

"Perhaps. But it will be a trial that no one in the Clans have ever faced before." A lingering look of sorrow was in the old lion's amber eyes. "Moonpetal, I live on my last life. I am an old lion who has led this Clan for many moons. It is time I finally joined the elders."

"Sunstar, no! You have a great many moons left, and you are an excellent leader!" Moonpetal's voice rose above the calls of nature.

"Moonpetal, LionClan deserves a younger, ambitious leader who can truly make this Clan great. Worry not, for Icetalon will make a fine leader." Sunstar said gently. "I am traveling to the Starstone (equivalent of the Moonstone or Moonpool) to renounce my leadership." Moonpetal looked as if she was going to protest, and then lowered her head in respect.

"If this is truly your wish, I will stand with you." She murmured quietly.

"I thank you for your loyalty, Moonpetal. Come, I will announce it to the Clan, and then travel to the Starstone." The medicine cat's head snapped up.

"So soon? But Sunstar…" She trailed off when she saw the firm look in Sunstar's eyes. She nodded her head.

"Then come." Sunstar padded off to the Tallmound.

"May all lions that are old enough to catch their own prey meat at the Tallmound for a Clan meeting!" Sunstar roared. He waited patiently as all the lions gathered at the base of the towering pile of stones. He twitched his ears to signal silence. Icetalon stepped to his side.

"LionClan, I have made an important decision." He rumbled. "I am renouncing my leadership, and Icetalon shall lead us."His news was met with cries of protest. Icetalon was startled.

"Sunstar…" She protested. "I do not believe that I am ready to lead this Clan. Please reconsider." She pleaded.

"Icetalon, if I thought that you were unfit, you would not be deputy." Sunstar muttered gently. He raised his voice in order to be heard. "Icetalon and I will travel to the Starstone tonight, to be stripped of my name and given my warrior name back, and for Icetalon to receive her Leadership. I shall be moving to the elder's den. I am doing this for the good of our Clan. You deserve a strong, young leader for this Clan." He announced. "That is all." He leaped off the mound, and padded slowly to Moonpetal's den. She came out with a mouthful of herbs for their journey.

"Sunstar…" She looked at him with a sorrow-filled gaze, and then she looked away. "Here, eat these." She pushed the bundle towards them. Sunstar gave her a nod of thanks, and swallowed the herbs. Icetalon followed his example. He motioned for Icetalon to follow as he maneuvered out.

"May StarClan be with you." Moonpetal mumbled. Sunstar waved his tail in thanks. Icetalon ducked under the bracken growing at the entrance, and they began their quest.

Icetalon stifled a yawn as she followed Sunstar. She stiffened when he purred in amusement.

"Hungry?" He called. "It's not much farther, but we can stop for some fresh-kill." She nodded and he rested while she went off to get some prey. Soon she returned with a plump deer in her jaws that she spread in front of the leader and took a bite. Soon, he rose to join her feast, and the deer was reduced to a pile of bones and fur. Sunstar stretched.

"Come." He walked away. Icetalon hurried to follow, and soon, they were staring at a glimmering stone. "Press your nose against it, and sleep will come." Sunstar said. They both did so, and, as he predicted, sleep came quickly.

**StarClan**

"Welcome."A union of voices had spoken. Icetalon looked around in awe, staring at the lines of tigers, lions, and leopards with stars glimmering in their pelts. One lion stepped forward- Sleetstar, the leader before Sunstar. Sunstar's eyes glimmered in happiness as he met his old mentor. Sleetstar also seemed to be pleased, but his voice betrayed sorrow.

"Sunstar, are you sure about renouncing your Leadership?" Sleetstar asked.

"I am." Sunstar replied. Sleetstar's eyes gave way to a flicker of understanding.

"Then I strip you of your title as leader. We give to you your warrior name, Sunpelt." Sunpelt lowered his head in respect, and then stepped back. Sleetstar padded over to Icetalon, the female lion standing to meet him.

"Welcome, Icetalon." He murmured. "Are you ready?" She nodded her head.

"With this life, I give you justice. Use it well to see the truth." Sleetstar lowered his head and touched their noses. Icetalon almost yowled as the pain of the life shot through her, but found her to be paralyzed. Sunpelt watched her with a steely gaze, understanding her pain, and gave her a tense nod. She nodded back, as a familiar lion pushed through the ranks.

"Larkflight!" She gasped at the sight of her mother. Larkflight's eyes twinkled.

"With this life, I give you courage. Use it well to defend your Clan." She lowered her head and touched it to Icetalon's forehead. Once again, she felt the pain of another life flood through her body, and she could do nothing but stand, frozen. Larkflight stepped back, and a leopard that she did not know stepped forward.

"I am Goldenspots, warrior of LeopardClan." He said it stoically. "With this life, I give you loyalty. Use it in order to fight for the truth." He touched her muzzle, and she saw a lightning flash of a warm glow that made her shiver. "You are doing well, young one." He whispered into her ear as he retreated into the crowd of cats. She watched a tiger take Goldenspot's place and stood straighter.

"I am Blackstripe. With this life, I give you bravery. Use it well to defend those weaker than you." He lowered his head down to touch hers. The striped warrior gave her a single nod before turning away, and another large cat padded to her. She gaped at a lion that stepped forward, a lion that she knew very well.

"Snakefang!" Her mate! Her dead mate! She gasped in sheer happiness.

"With this life, I give you good judgment. Use it well to judge your Clanmates fairly." He nuzzled her subtly as he went to touch her forehead with his snout. "I love you." He whispered. Icetalon's knees almost buckled, but she took the life gratefully, and drank it greedily, even as she screeched mentally with pain. He stepped back and she let out the breath that she had been unconsciously holding. She watched with sad eyes as he padded away, that was immediately lit up as another lion she recognized came to stand in front of her. It was Petalpaw, her littermate who had died in apprenticeship. The slightly shorter lion reared on her hind legs and placed a paw on Icetalon's chest fur to level herself up. Icetalon ducked her head in order to make this easier.

"With this life, I give you compassion. Use it well in order to protect your Clan." Petalpaw murmured. Her eyes twinkled as she backed away, and yet another lion that Icetalon did not recognize took her place.

"I am Cloudpath. With this life, I give you wisdom. Use it well in order to guide your Clan in times of trouble." The pale, almost white lion touched Icetalon's forehead with her nose, and Icetalon felt pain sear through her again. She breathed heavily, and watched as a spotted pelt padded to her. Another leopard.

"I am Fleetstar. With this life, I give you energy. Use it well to go on, when everyone else can't." The dappled warrior lowered her head to nudge Icetalon, who felt as though she could run for moons without tiring. One last lion stepped up.

"I am Sharpstar, the first leader of LionClan. With this life I give you love. Use it well to feel merciful for others." There was no pain, no burn, but a sweet sense of comfort. The female lion padded away, and she heard a union of voices.

"We hail you by your new name, Icestar, for you have received nine lives, and StarClan puts the fate of LionClan in your paws. Lead it well." The grassy forest faded away.

The newly named Icestar rose to her paws, and found Sunpelt already waiting for her. They traveled back to their Clan.

They met whispered murmuring as they stepped into camp. Icestar knew that she had a duty, and she leaped atop the Tallmound, raising her voice.

"Cats of LionClan, I address you humbly as your new leader." This was met with happy muttering and nods. "And I will now appoint a deputy." She scanned the Clan, but she had known her choice since she herself had been appointed as deputy. "Ebonytalon will be the deputy. Ebonytalon, I hope that you will serve the Clan well." Ebonytalon stood humbly and nodded. She leapt off the Tallmound, and padded off to her new den. She nearly collapsed into her nest, and fell into a deep sleep.

_Born to a storm. _

_Born alone. _

_Nothing. _

_Nothing._

Demonkitty101: Well, that's a wrap! Not much happened, but this is the beginning of LionClan, be patient. Read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Demonkitty: Hey… I'm really depressed for some reason… I'm still shopping for a beta for this story… any takers? Anyone?

I don't own Warriors.

Chapter 1

The Beginning

LeopardClan

Skykit pounced on her unsuspecting littermate.

"Ha ha! Gotcha!" She crowed. Runningkit turned with a mock growl, and jumped on top of his sister.

"No you didn't!" He cuffed her softly over her ear with a sheathed paw. She sneezed from the dust that arose, and the two broke out into a play-fight.

"Now, now. Calm down." Cloudstorm purred. "It's almost nightfall, and kits need their rest." Both Skykit and Runningkit looked up at their mother with pleading eyes, but she was quite relentless. "Come on, time to sleep." She ushered them to the nest, and with a mere grumble, they lay down, tails flicking and purrs deep in their throats. Dawnlight purred.

"Quite a handful, I reckon." She chuckled. "So is Mudkit." Cloudstorm sighed.

"Almost six moons, isn't he?" She asked.

"I'm expecting his apprentice ceremony any day now." Dawnlight said it proudly, while looking down at her large, golden-brown kit with light shining in her eyes. "Aren't your own nearing the six moon mark?" Cloudstorm nodded.

"Only two more moons to go." She purred.

**With Swiftstar**

The huge tan cat with paw-printed rosettes stretched. He was a young leader, but proud and ambitious. Full of promise.

"Swiftstar." He heard a deep rumble of the medicine cat behind him.

"What?" Swiftstar turned. Falconfeather stared with unnerving steely gray eyes.

"I have received a prophecy." He said it calmly.

"Well? Spit it out, then." Swiftstar was impatient, and it came out a snarl.

Falconfeather's eyes narrowed, but he recited the prophecy nonetheless.

_Hope lies with three,_

_Two worlds start to meet_

_May you fall in your glory_

_All chance is gone, _

_And Death is your fee_

Swiftstar growled, and paced. Falconfeather just watched with cool indifference.

"What does it _mean?" _He snarled. The old medicine cat's whisker's twitched, and his silver eyes glimmered with amusement.

"StarClan has not given me that knowledge. I know only what they have gifted me with." He rasped. Swiftstar swished back and forth, his tail flicking.

"Then what am I to _do?" _he growled it.

"I am a medicine cat, not a leader, sent to help guide, not hold your paws. This is your decision, Swiftstar." Falconfeather rumbled, eyes narrowing and whiskers twitching.

Swiftstar snarled, then whirled around and walked away.

"So much to learn." The medicine cat's gray eyes focused on the leader as he shouldered through the brambles, claws extended, leaving deep grooves in hard, packed dirt.

Meanwhile, Swiftstar padded into camp, deep in thought.

"_What should I do?" _He pondered this thought carefully, and his muscles rippled as he paced.

"What's wrong with you?" The deep grumble of Swiftstar's deputy interrupted his thoughts. Darkscar was standing in front of the LeopardClan leader with an annoyed look on his face. Swiftstar considered telling him, and when he did, Darkscar looked as confused as he was.

"I see…" Darkscar shook his huge golden head and nodded. "Perhaps you should bring this up at the next Gathering." He suggested.

"Yes, that would be a very reasonable thing to do." He stretched luxuriously. Darkscar nodded again, and walked away to organize the dusk patrols. Swiftstar watched him go, and then padded to the nursery.

"Swiftstar!" Cloudstorm murmured in surprise and happiness. Swiftstar purred and licked the top of her head. "Have you come to visit the kits?" she asked, shifting slightly so he could see their slumbering forms.

"Yes." He murmured, licking the top of each of their heads. Both kits stirred and opened sleepy eyes.

"Mother?" Runningkit yawned.

"Look, your father is here to see you." She purred. Swiftstar rumbled with happiness, and his kits purred as well.

"Hello, Swiftstar." The other queen in the nursery said quietly.

"Ah, Dawnlight. How is Mudkit? About six moons, isn't he?" Swiftstar shared small talk with Dawnlight.

"Yes." Dawnlight purred. She licked Mudkit's head. He grumbled and rolled his shoulders, before twitching his tail and settling deeper into sleep.

"I see…" Swiftstar nodded. "I suppose that I should be leaving you to your rest, then." He licked each of his kit's ears affectionately before padding out of the nursery.

"Mama, why we gotta wait for _our _apprentice ceremony?" Runningkit whined, battering at Skykit's ears. Skykit ducked her head.

"Because you aren't yet six moons. Now, back to sleep." Cloudstorm sighed. The two kits mumbled something incomprehensible and snuggled deeper against each other. Cloudstorm purred in amusment, and Dawnlight ran a tail along Mudkit's flank.

**Next morning**

"All leopards old enough to catch their own prey, meet at the Tallhill for a Clan meeting." Swiftstar's roar rang proud throughout the clearing. He waited patiently for the Clan to gather, twitching his tail for silence.

"In our midst, we have a kit, six moons old. Mudkit." Swiftstar beckoned Mudkit with his tail. Mudkit stepped forward.

" From this day forth, this cat shall be known as Mudpaw." Swiftstar scanned the crowd of leopards. "Vinefoot. You are a brave and loyal leopard, and I expect you to pass on everything you know to this apprentice." A shine of disbelief and happiness glowed in Vinefoot's eyes, and she bowed her head.

"I will do all I can to mentor this cat, and I am proud to receive this honor." Vinefoot touched noses with the newly named Mudpaw. There was great pride glittering in Dawnlights eyes, and she yowled Mudpaws name as load as she could. Runningkit and Skykit joined in with the rumble of voices ringing across the clearing.

"Mudpaw! Mudpaw! Mudpaw! Mudpaw!" The union of voices made Mudpaw lift his head with a new confidence and pride rippling through him.

Skykit looked on with a glint of her own. She leaned towards Runningkit, and murmured,

"Soon, that'll be us!" She whispered fiercely. Runningkit nodded in agreement, and stood up a little taller, a little straighter.

"We'll be the greatest warriors in all the Clans!"

Falconfeather closed heavy-lidded eyes.

_Sky to Storm._

_Sky to Storm._

_Coal to Sky._

_Shake the grounds._

Demonkitty101: I, personally, did not enjoy that. It was kinda boring, wasn't it? -.- Oh, well. Reviews would be awesome, and flames with get tossed to the ocean. Next up is TigerClan! Don't worry, the story will pick up soon. I have big plans for it!


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